The Ecological, Evolutionary and Biogeographical Histories That Genetic and Phylogenetic Studies of Cacti Reveal
A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Diversity".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 October 2026 | Viewed by 2942
Editors
Interests: phylogenetics; comparative genomics; population genetics; conservation genetics; ecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: gene expression; floral evolution; chromosome evolution; phylogenies; morphological evolution; ant-plant interactions
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Cacti are the most emblematic plants of the American arid ecosystems. Except for one taxon (Rhipsalis baccifera), the whole Cactaceae family (~1520 taxa) is endemic to the Americas, where they are widely dispersed, occupying terrestrial continental territories and isles. Today, the highest diversity of cacti is found in the southern arid territories of the USA, Mexico, and South America, but cacti also are found in humid environments. Molecular phylogenies estimate a recent origin of nearly 35 million years ago, thus a rapid speciation and successful biogeographic dispersion explain the high cactus diversity richness currently observed. Moreover, local ecological adaptions have driven interesting life-history traits, specialized biotic interactions with plant pollinators, and morphological and physiological adaptions. The long-term conservation of cacti faces the challenges of illegal traffic, loss, and habitat fragmentation. This Special Issue will collate studies on the genetics and phylogenetics of cacti, as well as ecological, biogeographic, and physiological research that is connected to these issues. Additionally, studies purely focused on conservation topics are also welcome.
Dr. Sofia Solórzano
Dr. Sandra Luz Gomez-Acevedo
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- cactus
- arid ecosystems
- phylogenomics
- comparative genomics
- plant–insect interactions
- ecology of cactus
- conservation of cactus
- gene expression
- cactus flowers
- chromosomal evolution
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
